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The global congress “Child Dignity in the Digital World” was planned and prepared at steering committee meetings held throughout the past year. Both the foundress of WePROTECT, Baroness Joanna Shields, and the Chair of the WePROTECT Global Alliance, Dr. Ernie Allen, are key members of this steering committee.

On the 3rd of October, the opening day of the congress, Baroness Joanna Shields will give the Keynote (following Cardinal Parolin), outlining the importance of these issues and providing a call to action. Baroness Shields will also help guide the discussion throughout the four days. Dr. Ernie Allen will chair the Thursday morning session on “Cyberbullism, Trafficking, Child Sexual Abuse Online: What Can We Do About it?”

We present their biographies (also found on the congress website) here. Which questions would you like to ask them?

Rt. Hon. Baroness Joanna Shields OBE is a technology industry veteran and parliamentarian serving as UK Minister for Internet Safety and Security and as Prime Minister Theresa May’s Special Representative on combating internet crimes and harms. Previously digital advisor to David Cameron, she serves as a Life Peer in the House of Lords. Her professional career began in Silicon Valley and spans over 25 years, during which she held key executive roles in world leading technology companies: EFI, RealNetworks, Google, AOL, and Facebook. She is the founder of the WePROTECT Global Alliance.

Dr. Ernie Allen is a global expert on the digital economy; the dark side of the internet; public-private partnerships and child protection, including the issues of child abduction, sexual exploitation, sexual violence, and human trafficking. He frequently speaks to global audiences on these issues and serves as an advisor to governments, law enforcement, technology companies, and nonprofit organizations. He currently chairs the WePROTECT Global Alliance, a global effort for the British government to combat online child abuse.